AUTHOR'S NOTE =
Just a quick little explaination for why the chapter's early: I can't update tomorrow. So. Enjoy!
The Wicked Witch of the East: Evanora's Return
[Part 2]
CHAPTER 6: MR. BEAR
-Emerald City-
*~ Firefly ~*
Mombi always said that good things don't last. Firefly wishes she could have been wrong just this once.
The wicked witches struck in the middle of the night. From what China Girl said, the wicked witches were chased off by the Wizard and Locasta followed in the hopes of finding out where they are gathering. Miss Glinda went with her too, meaning that there was no one to ask the Book of Records about Firefly.
The Wizard has a lot of work to do today and so does Finley. Usually, Firefly would spend the day with China Girl, but she has lessons to go to, being a princess. That means that Firefly has no one to play with. That's okay, she didn't have any friends before, but it's strange being alone in Emerald City.
Kicking off the chair, Firefly looks around the empty room. "The Wizard said it's okay to explore…"
There are servants and guards all over the palace, the Wizard said, and all of them are happy to give directions if she gets lost.
Mind made up and driven by loneliness, Firefly leaves the room she's been sharing with China Girl with the intent of exploring the rest of the third floor. Although the Wizard said there are a lot of guards around, this floor doesn't have as many as the ground and first floors.
Knocking and opening doors as she goes, Firefly soon realises why.
Most of the rooms on the third floor seem to be either locked with magic, or are just empty living quarters. One room looked really fancy with a sitting room and three bedrooms and everything, but just looking at the dust level alone Firefly could tell that the place hasn't been used in a very long time.
The Hall of Records is somewhere on this floor too, but she doesn't find it in the area that she explores. What Firefly does find however is a room that looks even older than the others. Dust and ash are heavy in the air, what remains of the furniture is burnt black and there's glass and all kinds of shards and sharp things on the floor. She's very glad she's wearing shoes.
"I wonder what it used to look like."
It must have been quite pretty. Much of what she sees looks like what she has seen in the Wizard's office and in China Girl's room, but finer, albeit ruined. She carefully steps over a broken vase and toward a bookshelf. It's not as bad as the other things, but still only the frame remains with a few empty covers of what must have once been many beautiful books.
She passes it to go through the door beside it, finding a bedroom much grander than China Girl's. At least, she thinks it must have been very grand, because the bedframe is very big and so are the windows, though those are boarded up with only a few beams of light shooting through in between the cracks.
There's a huge wardrobe that pulls her attention, but when Firefly touches the door it falls off its hinges. She jumps back in surprise, then clasps a hand over her mouth, quickly glancing around. There's no one who could have seen of course, she's alone, but Mombi had a way of jumping out of nowhere and she doesn't know if any of the servants can do that too.
When no scolding comes, Firefly slowly retreats, putting as much distance between herself and the wardrobe as she can. There's a lot of soot and ash next to and around the bed, probably from bedside tables and whatever else rich people have close to them at night. She stops a few steps away from the bed, her head feeling funny.
She moves around and suddenly trips, falling to the floor. Her knee hurts as she turns back around to sit up. Firefly blinks in surprise when she spots a green apple on the floor. There are two bites missing, but it looks perfectly fine.
And yet.
The longer she looks at it, the worse she feels. Her stomach is upset and her skin feels icky. She doesn't like it. Something isn't right.
"What is that thing?" She gets up and moves away from it, stumbling her way back to the bed. She bumps into it and steadies herself on the ashy covers. "Wait, why are these still okay?" The bedding is nearly as spotless as the apple, if a bit dirty. She pulls at the sheets, drawing them away from the pillows and an odd little teddy bear that tumbles off the bed.
Surprised and curious, Firefly abandons the covers and picks up the bear. It's about the size of her forearm, brown with big button eyes and a little green bow. "Huh. Who are you?"
There's magic in the bear. She knows because she remembers Locasta telling her to hold a teacup that was magic. It felt a lot like this, but different. This magic is warmer, comforting. There's something else too, but before Firefly can figure out what it is, she feels her body go heavy and her eyes droop.
Although the room around her does carry some familiarity, Firefly is certain she's dreaming. She has dreamt enough of darkness and faceless voices to recognise the difference between a visual dream and reality – of course, it does take her a while and even then she is unable to influence it.
A glance out the window reveals the moon's gentle light. She climbs out of bed to get a better look, leaving her bear to rest snuggly under the covers. It's oddly cold tonight.
"Oh, no need to cry, little one." An old woman rounds the bed, seemingly out of nowhere. Just as quickly, Firefly finds herself back under the covers, still tucked in like she'd never left. The lady smiles at her, her eyes gentle and kind. "No need to cry." Firefly is picked up and rocked in the woman's arms, shock silencing her thoughts for a moment. This isn't her usual body. Certainly not the one from moments before. Yet, it is undoubtable. She's a baby. "The lady is busy, is all. She is very important, you know. But you needn't worry, she'll be back very soon."
The lady?
"If only the young master was here. I can only imagine he would be overjoyed. He so dearly wished to meet you."
In the blink of an eye, the world around her changed and shifted. Soft greens exchanged for bright reds, brown for orange and white for yellow.
Fire.
"You stay away! Stay away wicked one!"
Firefly is being held again, probably by the same old lady from before judging by the voice. They are surrounded by fire, the flames high and sharp in colour, but Firefly doesn't feel the heat, doesn't even fear the flickering tongues. She should, she thinks, but there is magic in the air, warm and safe. Like her bear.
"It's amusing that you think a simple charm like this can keep me at bay."
The fire jumps out at them, but the old lady turns away, keeping Firefly away from the flames. She speaks, but the words said are muffled sounds, like listening through a door. Firefly has the impression that the other person says something too, but she doesn't focus on trying to listen anymore. Not when the arms around her go limp and fire makes its way back into her view.
"Such a tiny thing." She looks up into sparkling eyes and for a moment she thinks it might be Locasta, but the expression is different, the smile wrong, the gaze cold. "How can so much power reside within such a frail vessel?" She's picked up again, her rattle forced from between her fingers. "You won't be needing that." With a careless toss, her rattle is thrown away.
Her comfort vanishes, warmth is replaced by fear and suddenly Firefly very much wants to cry.
"Such vile noise." The woman waves her hand and Firefly knows she must have done something, though what she cannot say. "Much better. We don't want those pesky guards getting in our way, do we little pawn?" Sleepiness takes over and for a moment Firefly wanders if one can dream within a dream, only then remembering that this isn't reality. "Say goodbye to your nanny."
The world turns dark.
Firefly pushes up with a groan, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She looks around blearily, slowly remembering herself and where she wandered off to. She's on the floor, the little bear, so much like the one in her dream, hanging by the arm in her other hand.
She should put it back where she found it, but she doesn't really want to. This room isn't in use and it doesn't seem like the servants have been around in some time either, if they ever come here. That means that Mr. Bear will be all alone.
No, she decides. Mr. Bear is hers now. "Well." She looks at the toy, instantly feeling bad. "At least until Miss Glinda or the Wizard sends you home." Mind made up and new friend safely tucked to her chest, Firefly takes one last look around the room and leaves. She takes particular care not to look back at the apple, hurrying her way back to the hall.
-Emerald City-
*~ Oscar ~*
He breathes out in exasperation, slumping down into his office couch. Who knew being king meant sorting through so much paperwork? No wonder Evanora was so heavy on the eye-makeup. At least she kept things organized enough for him to easily follow along. "What a day."
A knock at the door has him inviting in a guard who bows at the waist, Firefly peeking out from behind an armoured leg. "Majesty, I found this child wandering the former royal wing. She requested I bring her to you."
"Hello."
Her shyness is as adorable as it is heart breaking. "Hi." He motions her over and nods his head in gratitude at the guardsman. "Thank you for escorting her. Please return to your duties."
"Majesty!" A salute and he's off, the door closing behind him.
"You went exploring then?"
"Yes, sir." She carefully sits down across from him, holding some manner of stuffed animal. He blinks twice before his mind catches up with the rest of him.
"What do you have there?"
Firefly seems hesitant, but she holds out the toy for him to see, eyes averted. "Mr. Bear. I found him in a big, dusty room."
"It sounds to me like you saved him. Why don't you keep Mr. Bear?" And then he realises it might be the toy of some servant's child, "At least until we know where he belongs?"
"Okay."
Come the next day, Oz is both grateful and regrets giving permission for Firefly to explore. The latter mainly caused by being on the receiving end of the displeasure of two very tired and unimpressed witches.
Technically, he didn't do anything wrong – the guards and servants were meant to keep an eye on her. Firefly just happened to go where neither dare to tread.
Until the next chapter!
– L.L.